I'll Follow You into the Dark
by Jen K
Summary: One Shot. What did Clark dream during the time he was unconscious?


_One shot. What did Clark dream during the time he was unconscious?  
_

_AN: Special thanks to htbthomas, a fantastic author and amazing beta reader.  
_

**I'll Follow You into the Dark  
**

Superman couldn't remember what happened; everything went black. He felt pain, and he felt like he was falling, deeper into the darkness.

Then it stopped. Somehow he had landed back on New Krypton. He tried to get up, but he was dizzy and disoriented, too weak to escape.

He heard Lex Luthor's voice, "I know who you are, Clark."

Superman panicked at the sound of his name. How could Luthor know this? He tried to push himself up, to fight back, but Luthor kicked him hard in the side.

"And that mother of yours…I know exactly where to find her. And when I get to that farmhouse in Nowheresville, Kansas, I'm going to make her cry for mercy. I'm going to torture her until she rues the day that she took you in."

"No," Superman cried feebly.

"Oh, yes. Once I've broken every bone in her body, I'm going to snap her fragile little neck."

"Stop!"

"And I'm going have you watch every second of it."

Luthor kicked Superman, flipping him over onto his back. He knelt down, close to his face. "That friend of yours, Jimmy Olsen, I'll kill him too. It's pathetic. Clark Kent only has one friend and he's some naïve, pitiful photographer from work. Come on – get a life! But soon you won't even have him. I'll make him weep like a baby before I kill him. And then you'll be all alone: all alone in the world, all alone in this universe."

Luthor smirked, as if daring him to speak.

"Say it. I know you're thinking it. It's on the tip of your tongue."

"I won't let you do this, Luthor!" He tried to sound forceful, but he was so exhausted he could barely get out the words.

"Not that! I _know_ what's on your mind. There's still someone else who you think cares about you."

"Lois."

"WRONG!" Luthor shouted with delight. "She's over you. She's got a new man, a good man who would never leave her. And they have a child together. They're a family and as strong as you are, you can't do anything about that. Face it, she doesn't love you. She never did and you know it."

Superman swallowed, fighting the pain, but there was nothing for him to say.

"Oh, I would love to kill her in front of you and have you watch as I torture her, as I _play_ with your little Lois. But you know what? I think it would hurt you more to leave her alone… I'll just let her live out her perfect little life. Lois and that wonderful fiancé of hers, will live happily ever after as they raise their child, all without you. Every day you will have to go to that job of yours and watch them. And it will eat you up inside."

Luthor kicked him again and he felt the pain course through his body.

"You should have stayed away. You aren't needed here. You aren't _wanted _here!" Luthor exclaimed. "You have no reason to live."

And with that said, Luthor spat in his face and kicked him over the edge of the cliff. "Goodbye, Superman."

He hit the water hard. It was cold and he felt himself sinking deeper and deeper. At first he tried to struggle to the surface, but he was so weak. Finally he gave in, resigned to his fate. He sank lower into water, prepared to succumb to the darkness.

"They say, sometimes when people are… that sometimes they can hear you… I don't know if you can hear me." He heard the familiar voice calling to him from the distance. "I wanted to tell you… that…."

He tried to stop himself from sinking. He wanted to hear the voice.

"I wanted you to know. You can't leave me again; you can't leave Jason. He's…he's your son and he needs you."

Superman felt a warmth surge through his body, reviving him, giving him strength in the cold water. He pushed himself upward, toward the source of the voice. Lois. Could it be true?

He fought his way through the dark water. He was getting closer; he could see the ripples of the surface. He kicked harder, faster, and extended his arms, pulling himself up into the open air, gasping for breath.

……

Superman opened his eyes.

……

He didn't know where he was. He looked around at the bland, sterile white room and realized he was in the hospital. His suit was neatly folded in the corner; he glanced down at his bare chest.

He didn't move at first. He still felt weak, but he felt even more vulnerable lying in the hospital bed. Superman took a deep breath, sped toward his suit, dressed himself, and was out the window in a mere fraction of a second. He flew up toward the sun, soaking up its power, letting it return his strength.

As he hovered above the Earth, basking in the rays, he realized that Jason was his son. He didn't know how he knew it. He didn't remember anything that happened in the hospital. He just _knew._ She must have come to him; she must have told him the truth. But it didn't matter how he knew this, all that mattered was that he had a son, he had a purpose. He had hope.

And although he was far from fully healed, he could not stay up in the reaches of the outer atmosphere any longer. He would return there afterward, but for now there was someone he needed to see.


End file.
